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Today is Aug. 28, 2014, the 240th day of the year. There are 125 days left in 2014. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (Aug. 25-31) in history.
5 years ago
In 2009, first-year Southwestern Community College students were required to take a new course, “SDV 108: The College Experience,” over the first eight weeks of the fall semester to enhance the orientation process. Marilyn Werner, Southwestern assessment center coordinator and person in charge of orientation services, worked closely with Matt Thompson, dean of student services, to design the course. The course required students to meet with their adviser about their academic plan within the first three weeks of the semester and attend at least two college activities within the first eight weeks. Also, financial aid and career services visited the class.
Schools across the country began taking precautions and making plans for dealing with an expected pandemic of the virus, also known as swine flu, in the fall and winter. Jodi Johnson, Creston Elementary School nurse, advised the strategies of hand washing, hand sanitizing and keeping people home who are sick at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. Each classroom was equipped with hand sanitizer. Johnson also advised staff members to get the regular seasonal flu shot.
At the beginning of Creston High School’s football season, Dick Bergstrom entered his 33rd year as coach in Creston and 39th overall. The team’s record was 199-151 overall, one win away from 200. Bergstrom went from 1986 to 2003 without a losing season. His best coaching season was in 2001, when the team was undefeated in regular season before losing to Boone, finishing 9-1. He achieved his 200th victory in a 28-27 win against Chariton Aug. 28, making him the 43rd coach in Iowa to reach 200 wins.
10 years ago
Ann Wenzig of Creston won first place in the antique tractor pull at the Iowa State Fair. It took her 22 years. She won with a 1937 A John Deere called “Ann’s Big Crank.”
University of Nebraska head baseball coach Mike Anderson came to speak to Creston High School athletes, band members and parents Aug. 26. He was invited by high school principal Todd Wolverton. Anderson’s main message was to focus on the player-coach relationship, not winning. Anderson was Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 when the Huskers played in the College World Series. He also played four years of professional baseball in the Anaheim Angels organization, an eighth-round draft choice out of Northern Colorado.
Greater Community Hospital filed an application to become a critical access hospital. According to CEO Monte Neitzel, this would improve financial standing. Expected improvement was $1 to $1.5 million.
20 years ago
Heather and Heidi Conner, 10, daughters of Steve and Janet Conner of rural Creston, won first place and high point award at Show Biz national competition, dance division, in Kansas City. The twins won against more than 100 contestants at regionals to advance to nationals.
Donald Skaar, 49, of Stacy, Minn., went on a search for the family of his Marine buddy Wayne Reece, whom he served with in the Vietnam War. Reece, 20, was killed by a sniper bullet 27 1/2 years before. Skaar began his search in Shannon City and discovered Reece’s mother, Inez, had moved to Creston. He contacted her for a visit. Skaar’s purpose was to tell Inez her son wasn’t alone in Vietnam, he had friends who grieved for him. Inez was appreciative her son was remembered after so many years. Wayne Reece was the first Vietnam War casualty in Union County.
Iowa had a cooler-than-normal summer for the third year in a row. Summer passed without a single 100 degree day.